Chair with adjustable headrest



Sept. 22, 1959 E. J. GABRIEL CHAIR WITH ADJUSTABLE HEADREST Filed Dec. 27, 1957 CHAIR WITH ADJUSTABLE mADREST Edward J. Gabriel, Sherman, Tex. Application December 27, 1957, Serial No. 705,636 3 Claims. (Cl. 155-177) This invention relates to chairs and like articles of furniture and particularly to an improved headrest construction for use therein.

Chairs having headrests have been known for some time and in certain instances means have been embodied in thearticle of furniture for adjustably positioning the headrest, as desired. However, a chair or like article of furniture having a satisfactory headrest which is adjustable in a simple'convenient and positive manner is still required, particularly for reclining chairs of the type employed in public conveyances, such as buses, trains, and airplanes.

It is to this problem of providing a satisfactory adjust able headrest for a chair that the present invention is directed. Briefly, this invention accommodates itself nicely to a reclining chair of the type utilized in air travel, for example, since it facilitates easy and quick adjustment of the headrest at desired elevations above the floor level to meet the dimensional requirements of the users. Heretofore, fixed headrests have not proven convenient in this circumstance, largely because of the fact that they are positioned at the upper end of the chair back and, therefore, passengers having a shorter waist to neck dimension find that. the provided headrest is generally unusable and uncomfortable.

My improved headrest structure, therefore, embodies novel means for adjusting its elevation at any desired level above theseat of the chair to accommodate passenger users of various size and dimension. Of several features embodied therein, one provides parallel open ings along the vertical length of the chair back to enclose a brake bandwith which the headrest is frictionally coupled, so that it may be positioned at a desired level above the ground. Novel closure members are also employed in conjunction with the headrest to maintain such openings closed, except for the portions thereof directly opposite the headrests. In this manner, accommodation of friction engaging means projecting outwardly from the headrest toward the above mentioned friction band is accommodated. This structure is not only convenient to use, but is neat in appearance and isolates the position adjusting mechanism from the passenger user without impairing its operation in any respect. Further provision is made for the convenient removal and attachment of the headrest, so that a chair equipped with my invention may be used with or without a headrest, as desired.

The main object of my invention is to provide a new and improved adjustable headrest for use with chairs and like articles of furniture.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved headrest, as aforesaid, in which novel friction engaging means are employed for adjustably positioning the headrest.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved adjustable headrest in which a friction brake system is automatically enclosed from the 2,905,230 Patented Sept. 22, 1959 users access as the headrest is adjustably positioned along the back of a chair.

The above and further objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those familiar with the art from the following detailed description and specification taken especially in conjunction with the illustrations found in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a typical airline seat or like article of furniture in which the headrest of this invention finds particular utility;

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view taken substantially at line 22 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows thereon;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the closure mechanism in Figure 1, as such appears disassociated from the chair structure to show in particular zipper fastening means employed therewith;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of an operating member of the assembly of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an end elevational view of the assembly shown in Figure 4 without the zipper members thereof;

Figure 6 is an end elevational view of the headrest employed with operating device seen in Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a partial, enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially at line 77 of Figure 1.

Turning now to the drawings, a chair i0 is shown comprising a side-by-side two-passenger seat arrangement as familiarly employed in airplanes or buses. Chair 10 includes a back portion 11, a seat portion 12, ground engaging feet members 13, 13, and arm rests l4, according to conventional practice. The present invention is particularly concerned with the construction and assembly of the back portion 11 and the arrangement there with of a headrest or pillow, indicated generally at 15.

The back portion 11 is covered with fabric 20, as best seen in Figure 2, which is reentrantly folded to provide a concealed loop 21 extending lengthwise of the seat back and disposed inwardly of the outer face thereof. There are two such lengthwise extending loop enclosures 21 in each seat back. The loop formation is secured in position by stitching 22 running lengthwise of the seat back and extending through fabric layers 23 and 24, as viewed in Figure 2. It will be understood further that reentrant fold lines adjacent the parallel lines of stitching 22 presents a pair of opposed edges 25 which are spaced apart in parallel fashion and related to the hidden loops 21. The gap spacing between the turned edges 25 provides access for a pair of zipper closure portions 27 and 28 which extend lengthwise along the looped areas 21 in the gap between edges 25. Such zippers are fitted with a pair of conventional operators 30, 30 separated and spaced by intermediately extending actuator plate 31. A nylon ribbon brake band 32 is disposed lengthwise along each loop 21 of the chair back and beneath the zipper portions 27 and 2-8 for purposes which will appear presently.

Referring now to Figures 3-6 of the drawings, it will be understood, as above stated, that the operators 30, 30 engage the zipper portions 27 and 28 in the usual manner and are moved simultaneously, but in opposite operating directions in accordance with the movement of the common actuator plate 31. Plate 31, as will best be recognized from examining Figure 5, includes a pair of spaced gripper buttons or projections 35, 35 extending outwardly of its one face 36. A pair of T-shaped connector members 37, 37 extend outwardly from the opposite face 38 of the plate 31 for purposes which will appear presently (see Figure 5). The buttons 35 normally lie between the zipper portions 27 and 28 and particularly extend into the opening existing between the zipper operator members 30, 30. So disposed, buttons 35 frictionally engage the brake band 32 which lies in the hidden loop 21. This frictional engagement between the buttons 35 and the band 32 provides a convenient means, in association with the normal frictional resistance to movement of the operators 30, 30 along the zipper portions 27 and 28, for locating the plate 31 at desired positions along the length of the chair back.

Referring to Figures 3, 6, and 7, it will be appreciated that the plate 31 also contains openings 40, 40 there through for receiving cylindrical insert, portions 41, 41 of additional spacer members 42, 42 mounted in spaced relation on the inner face 43 of a pillow support member 45 (see Figure 6), which conveniently may constitute a plastic sheet or the like.

The backing member 45 further includes slotted openings 44 for the reception of the T-shaped heads of connectors 37, 37 (see Figure so that the same thus may be secured removably to the actuator plates 31 associated with the two sets of zippers in the chair back. Member 45 further is glued or otherwise connected with a pillow for headrest 47 comprising a fabric covering 48 stuffed with a suitable medium 49, such as foam rubber or like material.

It will be recognized from examining Figure 7 that the pillow 47 is detachably secured to the actuator plate 31 by thrusting the projection portions 41 into openings 40 of the actuator plate and by suitably engaging the connectors 37 in the T-slots 44. The friction buttons 35 on the opposite face of the actuator plate, in turn, extend into the reentrantly folded pocket 21 to engage the friction ribbon or brake 32 thereat for holding the plate 31 at desired positions along the zipper portions. The headrest 47 is thus supported adjacent its opposite ends, according to the arrangement of attachment illustrated in the cross-sectional view of Figure 7, so that the same, in elfect, is slidably adjusted along parallel tracks up and down the back of the chair to assume various levels of elevation from the floor level, as desired.

It is believed that from the foregoing those familiar with the art will readily recognize and appreciate the merit and novelty of the present invention and will understand that the unique combination of the friction bands and zipper portions, in the manner hereinabove set forth, presents a unique means for adjustably positioning the headrest pillow at any desired elevation along the chair back. The frictional resistance to operation afforded by the zipper operators 30, taken in conjunction with the added frictional resistance of the buttons 35 to move over the friction brake or ribbon 32, especially when the users head is resting against the headrest 47, positively locates and maintains a desired positioning of the pillow headi'est. Further, since the zipper portions are interconnected by a common actuator 31, such cooperate to maintain the loop 21 closed at all stages of operation for the pillow, or that is to say, when one of the zipper portions is opened, the other zipper portion closes an equal amount at all times, thereby keeping all portions of the seat back above and below the actuator plates 31 closed to conceal the friction brake within loop 21.

It will be readily understood and appreciated that while I have herein shown and described the features of my improved invention, as it relates to a preferred embodiment thereof, nevertheless, numerous changes, modifications, and substitutions of equivalents may be entered thereinto without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As a consequence, it is not intended that I be limited to the particulars of the embodiment hereinabove described and shown except as may appear in the following appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable headrest assembly for a chair, comprising, a chair back having a pair of parallel spaced slotted openings formed therein, zipper closure means extending along each of said openings and adapted to close over the same, zipper closure operators associated with each closure means, a headrest pillow adapted to extend across the back of the chair, means connecting said pillow to the closure operators of each closure means whereby the position of the pillow along the chair back is regulated by the position of the closure operators along said closure means, and friction brake means extending along said openings to arrest the operators in desired positions along said closure means.

2. An adjustable headrest for a chair, comprising, a chair back having a pair of parallel spaced slotted openings formed therein, zipper closure means extending along each of said openings, closure operators associated with each of said closure means, headrest pillow means positioned horizontally across the chair back, means detachably connecting said pillow adjacent its ends to the said zipper closure operators whereby positioning of the latter along said zipper closure means serves to adjustably position the said pillow, friction band means disposed adjacent said zipper closure means, and means associated with said pillow and extending through said zipper closure means for engaging said band means to provide a frictional brake system assisting the zipper closure means in adjust-ably positioning and holding the said pillow at desired levels along the back of the chair.

3. An adjustable headrest for a chair, comprising, plural parallel spaced openings formed lengthwise along the chair back, a zipper means extending along each of said openings and adapted to close over the same, a pair of spaced closure operators associated with each zipper means, plate means interconnecting each pair of said operators and holding the same in spaced relation on its associated zipper means, a headrest pillow, means for detachably connecting the pillow to said plate means, friction belt means disposed behind each zipper means and plate means, and engaging means extending outwardly of said plate means for engaging said belt means to provide a friction brake system adapted to adjustably hold the pillow at desired levels on the back of the chair; the zipper means being operated to seal said openings beyond said plate means by means of the pairs of closure operators associated therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,081,333 Hoover May 25, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 667,061 Germany Nov. 3, 1938 

